Exactly 95% of articles or documents with information are not peer-reviewed, double-blind metanalysed. This means that information given is largely opinion-based and not generalisable. Media also often gives worst-case scenarios and can be overly dramatic. Google did not go to medical school. So always check your information. I always encourage families to get second or third opinions. Many patients will try alternative curative medicine. This has its place but can cause more damage than good.

Untreated pain can cause premature death because of the stress pain has on the heart. Pain is critical to address and manage for both quality and quantity of life. With careful titration of doses of pain medication.

Yes, excessive water intake can lead to water intoxication, which can be fatal. The condition occurs when the balance of electrolytes in your body is altered by a rapid intake of water. This can result in brain swelling, seizures, and in severe cases, death.

Effective management of chronic pain often requires a multi-disciplinary approach. This includes medications, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes counseling. Each patient's situation is unique, so a personalized treatment plan is essential.

Individual responses to treatment can vary due to a number of factors including genetics, overall health, the nature of the condition being treated, and even psychological factors. Personalizing treatment plans helps to address these differences.

As end of life draws near, people will naturally not want to eat large quantities of food. Calorific needs at this time are very low. If a patient is forced to eat, this can do more damage as the patient is more likely to vomit or have diarrhea or to aspirate food into the lungs. Try to encourage smaller but more frequent offers of food or liquid.

It does not mean that a person "in remission" is indefinitely cured from their disease. It just means that the disease is not currently active. You need to keep monitoring any disease that is "in remission."

Imagine a small balloon. If you overfill it with air, it will burst. This happens in the lungs too, where capacity is very small and you are unlikely to become "addicted" to these medications.

No one can predict death. Some patients may look imminently terminal but the next day they are sitting up in bed eating a hearty breakfast. Visa versa is also true. When medical professionals give a "prognosis," it will be determined as an average outcome of the stage of disease. Everybody is different and it will be very wrong to generalize all patients.

Cannabis is known to have numerous therapeutic effects: improved sleep and relaxation, decreased pain and increased appetite. A general feeling of well-being is stimulated and some think cannabis can be a curable answer to cancer. Be careful of who you get cannabis from as each merchant may use different concentrations and solvents to mix. As medical professionals it is difficult to know what dosage of cannabis is in a pre-mixed syringe.

Sleep is where the body restores and heals itself. It is also very important for cognition. The costs of not sleeping are very large. The benefits of sleeping far outweigh the costs of taking a sleeping tablet at night. There are different types of sleeping tablets. Many people are concerned about addiction or feeling "hung over" in the morning. There are sleeping tablets that only remain in the body for 6-8 hours and no hangover effect occurs.

Many patients with serious chronic diseases start to confuse day and night in terms of sleep. This is called diurnal variation and is considered a common symptom. It is often more distressing for the family and carers than it is for the patient. Diurnal variation usually resolves itself but may take weeks to months.

Patients with chronic or serious disease will often get oral candidiasis (thrush) and/or urinary tract infections. This is not because of inadequate mouth or toilet care. Often when a person's immune system is compromised, opportunistic pathogens flourish and these infections can impair appetite, taste, and cause nausea and pain. These infections are very simple to treat and patients enjoy more quality of life when these infections clear.